Statewide Campaign to End Family Fire Influences Firearm Storage Behavior with Encouraging Results

In 2022, Brady launched a statewide End Family Fire campaign in partnership with the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to address firearm suicide in the state. The campaign includes a multimedia PSA effort targeted at gun owners, promoting safe storage. Early campaign survey data already show a statistically significant change in behavior among Missourian respondents who viewed the End Family Fire PSAs. The impact is clear:  the number of viewers who report talking to friends and family about safe gun storage in the past six months increased by nine percentage points from 26% to 35%. These early results are a promising reflection of how Brady’s End Family Fire campaign increases awareness about the importance of responsible firearm storage and has real impacts on firearm storage attitudes and behaviors. 

Brady just launched a new End Family Fire PSA campaign, “Prepare for Misuse.” 

The PSAs expand the program’s focus on the dangers of unsecured guns by depicting the multiple types of gun violence — including unintentional shootings, firearm suicide, and intentional shootings (such as school shootings) — that can be prevented through safe storage. It also highlights the important role gun owners play in gun violence prevention and encourages a national dialogue around safe firearm storage practices — all of which are proven strategies to prevent family fire.

The PSAs will run nationwide across a series of digital and TV spots as well as out-of-home. Visit www.bradyunited.org to learn more about our programs, share End Family Fire PSAs, donate, get involved locally and more! 

BRADY LEGAL

Welcome Doug Letter 

Douglas N. Letter, an attorney with more than 40 years of experience in legal affairs and litigation at the highest levels in the U.S., is the new Chief Legal Officer at Brady, overseeing the organization’s legal work to end America’s gun violence epidemic. Most recently, from 2019 to 2022, Letter served as General Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. From 1978 to 2018, he was an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, ultimately serving as director of the appellate staff for the Civil Division. Mr. Letter has presented over 200 oral arguments, including before the U.S. Supreme Court and various federal appellate and district courts.Upon our announcement that Doug Letter joined Brady, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “Doug Letter has relentlessly defended the House, its Members, and its prerogatives. One of our nation’s most skilled appellate lawyers and a leading expert on Constitutional law, Doug will continue to provide legal counsel of the highest caliber at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.”

Like many others, Doug, a grandfather, felt compelled to join the gun violence prevention movement due to the increase in school-related and other mass shooting events. Core to his work will be the belief that one of the basic freedoms critical to Americans is quite simply the right to exist, which is under attack because of an extremist view of gun rights in America that is unsupported by history, tradition, or context of the founding and development of our nation.

Brady Legal and the Brady Legal Alliance — hundreds of lawyers and firms that contribute their passion and time pro bono — work to reform the gun industry and secure justice for the victims and survivors of gun violence. Our team has won landmark cases nationwide, establishing life-changing precedent and promoting public safety.

Key Case: NAGR v. City of Highland Park – Defending Assault Weapon Bans in Court

Brady is representing the City of Highland Park, Illinois, in a suit challenging the city’s ordinance restricting access to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The suit, brought by the National Association for Gun Rights (NGR), will undoubtedly be impacted by the recent Supreme Court decision in Bruen  which requires all gun restrictions to have extensive historical precedent, and has the potential to set a dangerous precedent if the court rules in NGR’s favor. 

Recent Win: Duncan v. Total Firearms (MI) – Improving shooting range safety measures 

Total Firearms of Michigan rented a prohibited purchaser two loaded handguns to use in its shooting range. That individual then left the store and, 40 minutes later, used one of those guns to kill his ex-girlfriend, Rachel Duncan. Brady’s suit alleged that Total Firearms acted with gross negligence by failing to ensure the firearms remained on-premises and were used in a safe manner. Through our recent settlement, Total Firearms has agreed to implement appropriate safety measures to prevent other prohibited purchasers from obtaining firearms, and has gone further to strengthen policies regarding staff training, firearm transfers, and rentals. This settlement will serve as a model for other gun stores and shooting ranges to help keep their communities safe.